1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an igniter, which ejects gas flame through a flame port on the leading end of the rod-like extension extending from an igniter body in response to igniting action on the igniter body, and more particularly to structure of changing the direction of the flame port in such an igniter.
2. Description the Related Art
An igniter where a rod-like extension extends from an igniter body provided with a liquefied gas fuel reservoir and a gas flame is ejected through a flame port on the leading end of a tip pipe forming the rod-like extension so that the distance between the igniting position and the igniting action position is increased to facilitate the igniting action, has been commercially available and has been in wide use.
There has been proposed a gas igniter, where a part of the tip pipe in the rod-like extension is formed by a flexible member so that the direction of a flame port can be changed and the tip pipe can be inserted into a bent part to ignite. (See, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-133359.)
However, such an igniter has a difficulty in its handling when, since the tip pipe of the rod-like extension is formed by a flexible member like a spring and the shape of the tip pipe is changed through abutment against or the like in such an igniter, there is no wall surface against which the tip pipe is to be abutted and it is difficult to initially insert the rod-like extension gripping the igniter body.
That is, in the conventional igniter, where the rod-like extension is rigid and connected straight to the igniter body, there are cases where the user must take an unreasonable position to ignite through an igniting port of a gas appliance, and where an excellent ignition cannot be obtained due to an obstacle existing on the straight extension of an igniting port of a gas appliance which obstructs insertion of the rod-like extension into a regular igniting position. This can be overcome by forming the tip pipe of the rod-like extension by a flexible member as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-133359. That is, when the tip pipe of the rod-like extension is formed by a flexible member as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9(1997)-133359, the leading end of the tip pipe abuts against a wall surface of the igniting port or the like so that the tip pipe is deformed along the insertion path to be able to be inserted to the igniting port. However, this approach is disadvantageous in that it cannot be inserted to the igniting port unless a wall surface and the leading end of the tip pipe can be rubbed against the wall surface to be stained to deteriorate the ignitability.
Especially, in the case where the rod-like extension is fixed to the igniter body, since the rod-like extension is directed in the same direction as the igniter body with movement of the igniter body in various directions, e.g., up and down or the right and left, the rod-like extension itself is inclined to make it difficult formation of a gas flame when the flame port is applied to an object to be ignited with the igniter body inclined with respect to the object.